Post-Natal Pilates in Stratford, East London
Post-Natal Pilates in Stratford, East London
Post-natal Pilates is a structured way back into movement after having a baby. Sessions are led by practitioners who understand what the body has been through, and they start from where you actually are rather than where you were before pregnancy.
We run post-natal Pilates from our East Village clinic in Stratford, as one-to-one sessions and in small groups. Some of our Pilates sessions are taught by chartered physiotherapists, so if something is painful or not working properly, you are in the right room to have it looked at.
When Can I Start Pilates After Having a Baby?
The honest answer is that it depends on your birth and your recovery, not on a fixed number of weeks. As a general guide, the NHS advises that after a straightforward birth you can start gentle movement such as walking, gentle stretches and pelvic floor exercises as soon as you feel up to it, and that it is sensible to get advice at your six to eight week postnatal check before starting anything higher impact.
Low-impact exercise such as Pilates is commonly introduced from around six weeks. If you had a caesarean, a complicated delivery or significant tearing, your recovery will take longer and you should speak to your GP, midwife or health visitor before starting a structured programme.
We would rather you came in and were told to wait than pushed on alone. If you are not ready for a class yet, we will say so and give you something useful to be getting on with.
What Post-natal Pilates at Fix Involves
Pelvic floor
Deep abdominal work and abdominal separation
It is normal for the abdominal muscles to stretch and separate during pregnancy. This is known as diastasis recti or divarication. Regular pelvic floor and deep abdominal exercises can help to reduce the size of the separation, and in the early stages we avoid the movements that tend to make it harder to manage, including sit-ups, full planks and high-impact work.
The NHS advises contacting your GP if the gap is still obvious eight weeks after birth, as they can refer you on for specific assessment.
Everything else that hurts
Mat and Reformer
We offer both mat and Reformer work, and most people end up doing some of each. Reformer uses spring-loaded resistance, which is useful post-natally because it lets you load a movement while still supporting you. Mat work travels better, because it is what you can repeat at home in ten minutes while the baby naps. You can see the wider Pilates programme and our current class timetable for group options.
Your First Session
The first session is longer than the ones that follow, and a good part of it is conversation. We will ask about your pregnancy and birth, how feeding is going, how you are sleeping, what you did for exercise before, and what you actually want to get back to. Then we look at how you are moving now.
You will leave with a small number of things to do at home. Not a punishing programme, because that is not realistic with a newborn, but two or three exercises that are worth the time.
Session lengths and current fees are on our pricing page.
Can I Bring My Baby?
When to See a Pelvic Health Physio First
Some things are worth assessing properly before you start exercising. Please speak to your GP, health visitor or one of our pelvic health physiotherapists if you are leaking urine or wind, if you feel heaviness or dragging in the vagina, if intercourse is painful, or if you have ongoing pain around a scar or your pelvis. Our Mummy MOT is a full post-natal assessment designed for exactly this, and our pelvic health and women’s health team can advise on what to do next.
These things are common. They are also treatable, and they are not something you have to put up with.
